Dragon Ball : Xenoverse - Destiny
by Nuxcia
Summary: In Conton City, a new hero is called to save the universe. Or rather, a new heroine. Indifferent to all this, Piccolo will nevertheless find himself mixed up in this story willy-nilly and discover that destiny sometimes has a darkest and dubious sense of humor. [This fiction is a translation from a french fiction]
1. Prologue

**Genre :** Angst – Drame – Romance

**Disclamer :** I don't own the DBZ's characters. Also, this is a french fiction in the first place and I wanted to translate it to practice my English so don't hesite to tell me if I've made some spelling mistakes :)

* * *

**\- Dragon Ball : Xenoverse -  
– Destiny ****–**

* * *

**Prologue**

Conton City.

The place was full of life as usual. Majins were around Humans Namekians like Saiyans could discuss in the utmost calm with these beings of the same race as Freezer. Surprising, isn'it ? Well not when you've been used to this kind of situation for some time. This wasn't the first time that the City had known such agitation.

The last time, it was during the confrontation to avoid a chaos in History. A hero was called by Trunks from another reality. These two had become partners in inseparable missions, working for the good of the universe. But even though their combined strength made them formidable warriors, the enemy's ruse proved much greater than the world had expected.

A new hero has to be summoning.

A hero capable of surpassing everyone's hopes. A hero capable of meeting the expectations of the Kaio Shin. In fact, a being capable of putting an end to this surge of evil that now threatened Conton City and the entire universe. Fortunately, Trunks was no longer in charge of this heavy task of finding this newcomer. Les dieux eux-mêmes s'en étaient fait une priorité absolue. Après tout, un poids aussi lourd que celui-ci ne pouvait pas toujours reposer que sur les épaules d'un seul homme. Even for a Saiyan.

Piccolo was indifferent to all this agitation.

Of course, he would certainly cross the path of this "new hero" if this hero wished to test his strength and train with a master capable of advancing him. After all, he had done it with Trunk's partner. Apart from this fact, he mainly wanted to stay away from the whole story. However, he had no idea that this newcomer would change his perception of events and, more broadly, his own reality of the world around him.


	2. Chapter 1: Promise

**Genre :** Angst – Drame – Romance

**Disclamer** : I don't own the DBZ's characters. Also, this is a french fiction in the first place and I wanted to translate it to practice my English so don't hesite to tell me if I've made some spelling mistakes :)

* * *

**\- Dragon Ball : Xenoverse – Destiny -**

**Chap. I - Promise**

The sun was at its zenith that day. A blue sky. The few clouds of the morning had completely disappeared. In short, a beautiful day looming on the horizon. The inhabitants met and greeted each other. Some discussed everything and nothing when others were doing some friendly fights to test their levels and, above all, their own limits. A principle that many maintained, especially the Saiyans who appreciated all types of fighting without any restriction of race or sex.

That being the case, not everyone shared this common amusement.

"For the _umpteenth_ time, my answer is _no_."

Piccolo crossed his arms and stared at the Kai Shin of Time in front of him. This little woman didn't pay mine, but could b even more stubborn than Son Goku. What was already a feat in itself: when she had an idea in mind, it was impossible to turn her back until she had what she wanted.

The latter did not let herself be taken aback by the Namekian's refusal. On the contrary, she displayed a broad smile, fists on her hips:

"Oh, come on, Piccolo. You wouldn't leave the guardian of the universes facing the unknown alone, would you?"

_Touché_.

The warrior must have recognized it.

"And why not?" he laughed, neither did he decide to let go of some ground to the Kaio Shin of Time. "With all due respect, you're an exemplary fighter. Maybe even more than me or Son Goku. Why don't you do it yourself? Or ask Trunks like the last time?"

It was the Kaio Shin's turn to cross her arms. Her attitude had suddenly become serious.

"I have to keep an eye on my bird, don't forget about that. Besides, Trunks is busy with his partner to find and catch Mira… Piccolo, I wouldn't ask you for it if I didn't know you could do it. We need someone to greet this newcomer. We need this person to put an end to the actions of Mira and Towa."

Piccolo kept silence.

Her interlocutor's words were correct. Like usual, by the way. Nevertheless, he also had his own interests. His own desires and decisions. His own desires and decisions. Someone like Trunks handled it a lot better than he did, especially when you were a Time Patroller.

"Why don't you ask Gohan or Goku?"

"I've already though about it, especially for Gohan. But he's too busy playing super-hero on his side. As for Goku… you know how he is." she added not without a large amused smile that meant absolutely everything.

The Namekian agreed briefly, with no need to ask for further explanation of what she meant. Indeed, Goku would be the kind of person who would want to face the newcomer right away just for the sake of fighting.

"I will not change my position, Kaio Shin: I refuse. Nevertheless…"

The eyes of his interlocutor who had suddenly shined with pleasure did not go unnoticed by the attentive gaze of the warrior. He went on to say:

"Nevertheless, I will be the first to agree to train this new warrior to help him in his future battles. That's the only promise I make to you, don't ask me to serve as a reception post anymore."

At the silence of his words, Piccolo oscillated between the hope that the Kaio Shin would accept his conditions and the fact that she would sweep them away with a simple gesture of her hand. After all, he stood up to a god and not the least.

"Very well, I accept."

His relief was sincere. Truly. He had the impression that a sheet of lead had just been removed from his shoulders. And it had nothing to do with his clothes for once. Respectfully due to her rank, he bowed to the woman with the pink skin.

"Thank you, Kaio Shin."

"I'm going to ask this grumpy old man to come with me, it'll stretch his legs a little and give him something to do instead of complaining. You can leave, Piccolo. I will return to you as soon as possible."

Her smile was enough for him to understand what she implied: his promise had not gone into the ear of a deaf person. Surprisingly, it amused him. On the other hand, he was eager to see what fate would hold for them as a new warrior to defend the world. He took time off and left the room to return to the heart of the city as he perceived the discussion of the two Kaio, probably in the middle of a debate.

His footsteps took him to the Business District. More precisely, to the school where Son Gohan was studying. Perhaps he would have the chance to meet him? He would have liked to talk to him, even though the young boy was no longer a fighter. A few Patrollers that he met greeted him politely while the Namekian leaned against the red brick wall.

At his thoughts, he raised his head by perceiving the light clap on his shoulder. Gohan's wide-eyed smile greeted him:

"I didn't think to find you here, Piccolo. What a pleasure!"

The warrior bowed his head slightly toward his former student. His eyes then bent towards the young, dynamic brunette woman who accompanied him. VVidel Satan, the one and only daughter of Hercules Satan, the «famous» champion of the human world. The young lady was very different from her father, much more intelligent and thoughtful, far from belligerent and greedy of glory like her dad.

These two had become almost inseparable.

"Videl and I used were going to the mall, but we can take a detour through the gardens. You come with us?" he added, taking the appropriate direction.

Leaving a brief sigh, Piccolo followed in their footsteps. He knew that Gohan no longer had any secrets for Videl and vice versa, for a reason which still eluded him even if he saw this alchemy which took place between them. Human feelings, they say. Something he wasn't familiar with. So he didn't hesitate to tell them about his interview with the Kaio Shin of Time and her particular request which he had refused.

Gohan and Videl listened respectfully in silence. When his story was finished, they remained for a moment in their own reflections until Goku's son decided to speak out:

"I didn't know the Kaïo Shin were so desperate… The situation must be very delicate for them to decide to act on their own without summoning Shenron like the last time."

"It is." Piccolo said. "It's also partly for that reason that I didn't choose to get directly involved. I am not like Son or Vegeta: their powers exceed mine, and by far, since they have followed the training of Lord Beerus. I'd rather be in the shadows than in the light."

"So you won't be there when the Kaio Shin summons this new hero?" Videl asked him politely.

He turned his black eyes to the girl:

"No. Not directly."

Gohan, who had no trouble understanding his former master's psyche, drew a new smile before putting his glasses back on.

"I see. I doubt that Vegeta will be there _directly_ too. I will go and tell my father, I think that it will interest him. Videl, will you accompany me?" he added, turning to the young girl.

She lifted herself from the grass where she had sat, dusting her clothes to remove the blades of grass that had clinged to it. With a smile, she did not even wait to answer him and started to fly away. After his surprise, Gohan immediately went after her not without having saying goodbye for both of them to the Namekian.

The shadow of a smile passed over Piccolo's features as he followed the two humanoid forms in the sky with his eyes. Definitely, that day promised to be more than interesting.


	3. Chapter 2: Summoning

**Genre :** Angst – Drame – Romance

**Disclamer** : I don't own the DBZ's characters. Also, this is a french fiction in the first place and I wanted to translate it to practice my English so don't hesite to tell me if I've made some spelling mistakes :)

* * *

**\- Dragon Ball : Xenoverse – Destiny -**

**Chap. II - Summoning**

The time was close. Very close.

Piccolo could feel it. Of course, he had not wanted to serve as a welcome center and guide for the newcomer, but this didn't prevent him from being able to attend the call of this new warrior. Last time, Trunks took care of it with the Dragon Balls by summoning Shenron. Today, it was different.

It was the Kaio Shin of Time herself who was in charge of seeking their savior in a universe alternative to theirs. For what reasons? According to her, only an outside warrior would be able to face the danger of the times and stories. A questionable point of view, but the decisions of Time were never questioned. After all, she was the only one who knew what could happen in the alternative times.

The welcoming committee wasn't numerous but the people present wereno' strangers.

Son Gohan was accompanied by Videl, Goku had managed to convince Krillin to come and the two Kaio Shin were there. He couldn't see him but could feel the Ki of the Saiyans' Prince somewhere. The Namekian stood in the shadows and in the background. He had masked his Ki so no one could see him, especially since he didn't particularly want to mingle with the little gang. Watching the events in the background was more his cup of tea.

The Kaio Shin of Time has advanced several steps, in front of the gates leading to the Temple of Time. The small group was silent, everyone seemed to hold their breath. She raised her two hands above her head. The words she then let slip out of her lips seemed to be from another time, in a language lost or forgotten for millennia.

The air became warmer as she uttered her incantation – as Piccolo suspected it was about that – and dark clouds gradually appeared, making the sky a dark storm. The call seemed similar to Shenron's, but everyone knew it wasn't the case. In front of the little woman, reality twisted into a wormhole to the size of a human and a humanoid form appeared.

A new warrior.

A human woman.

The summoning was finished. The magic gradually ceased to operate, returning to the sky its original color and to the air its usual atmosphere. All eyes were on this woman who was now standing before the Kaio Shin of Time. Piccolo noted that she was the only one who wasn't surprised by the presence of the woman. After all, she had invoked her, hadn't she?

The Namekian risked a slight glance from his hiding place.

Of a common size for a human – he didn't feel the energy of the Saiyans as it was the case with Goku or Vegeta and her appearance was by no means comparable to that of the Majins or the Freezer's race – she seemed as lost as they were surprised to see a woman instead… Of what, exactly? Many elite warriors in the Time Patrollers were women. Why was everyone so surprised to find themselves facing one of them?

"Welcome to Conton City!"

Naturally, the Kaio Shin of Time had decided to take matters into her own hands. One wonders why she insisted so much that he himself, Piccolo, take care of it. Anyway, it doesn't matter.

"I am the Kaio Shin of Time. It's me who decided to bring you here… Vetra, is it?

The so-called Vetra placed her deep water-green eyes on her interlocutor.

"Indeed. Pleased to meet you…"

Piccolo felt the discomfort of the newcomer. He could understand her. She had just been torn from her own reality, leaving her family and friends behind without her consent. It was surprising, even shocking to a sane person. Nervously, he saw her place a strand of her long auburn hair behind her ear.

"Why… why am I here?" she asked.

"You are the Chosen One, destined to save our world and its realities." replied old Kaio Shin, who had finally decided to give a little of himself.

"Evil people do everything to change the course of time and the historical events that have occurred." explained the Kai Shin of Time with more diplomacy than her companion. "We chose you because you're the only one who can stop them."

She then turned to the small welcoming committee, which, surprisingly, had not said a word since the young woman's arrival.

"Everyone, this is Vetra. She is an emeritus human warrior who is part of one of the many alternative realities that make up our universe. Like Trunks, for example. I'm counting on you to make her comfortable and show her around Conton City!"

"Welcome!" announced Videl who had advanced first.

She took Vetra's hands in hers in a friendly gesture, seeming delighted with the situation.

"I'm glad to see that a woman as strong as you has been chosen to be our hero, and I'm sure C-18 will be too! I hope we'll be really good friends." she added with a wide warm smile.

The person concerned responded slightly to her smile, not fully comfortable with what seemed new to her, while, encouraged by Videl's approach, the rest of the small group made their usual greetings and presentations.

"Vegeta will be offended to see that you are not a Saiyan." commented Goku.

Mentally, Piccolo approved him. They all knew the Prince of the Saiyen well enough to know that his pride was going to take a beating at this announcement. However, the Namekian suspected that if this woman proved herself, Vegeta would treat her with some form of respect that he accorded to the most powerful warrior. Son Goku being a separate case, obviously.

Far from letting herself be taken aback by the situation, Videl slid her arm around Vetra's and dragged the warrior in her footsteps. Piccolo preferred not to stay any longer and moved away quickly, teleporting himself to the Business District. After all, he would also have the opportunity to meet this Vetra more officially within hours.

Hours passed by, indeed. Time itself passed without the Namekian actually seeing it. Immersed in his thoughts and meditation, he reflected on everything that had happened since the beginning of the day. Between his promise to the Kaio Shin of Time, the summoning that had brought this woman to light…

Suddenly, he came out of his thoughts as he heard the sounds of conversations of which he easily recognized the voices. The group of the newcomer was approaching the place of the city where he was. A group that soon showed up at his sight. Videl was in the middle of explaining the neighborhood, recommending some places more than others, under Gohan's amused gaze. Vetra was listening to her with attention and turned her head towards the Namekian.

Their eyes crossed. If some earthly books could speak of a certain astonishing alchemy that is created at first glance… that was absolutely not the case in the current situation. Quite the contrary.

Piccolo had never seen such an intense, visceral fear in any being, human or not. The pale auburn-haired warrior had turned white. Even her Ki made it look like the terror inside her. In a movement that demonstrated that this was not the first time she had acted in this manner, she suddenly put a knee down and lowered her head, almost touching the ground.

The Namekian wasn't the only one in shock. The whole group said nothing and was frozen with surprise and misunderstanding. Until the woman, still kneeling before the warrior, finally expresses herself:

"Lo… Lord Piccolo! I didn't know you were in this reality. Forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty!"


	4. Chapter 3: Troubles

**Genre** : Angst – Drama – Romance

**Disclamer :** I don't own the DBZ's characters. Also, this is a french fiction in the first place and I wanted to translate it to practice my English so don't hesite to tell me if I've made some spelling mistakes :)

* * *

**\- Dragon Ball : Xenoverse -  
– Destiny -**

* * *

**Chap. III - Troubles**

Silence was starting to get heavy. Absolutely no one had laid out the slightest movement, not daring to break this moment. The sounds of the rest of the city seemed far away to the ears of the present people.

The newcomer didn't flinch. One knee down in front of the Namekian, her head remained lowered and her auburn hair masked part of her face. Piccolo didn't know what to think, just as he had no idea how to react. Should he stop her so that she stops kneeling before him? Did he have to be formal about it? After all, she came from another universe other than theirs… greetings had to be like this. Probably.

This could have been the case indefinitely if Goku hadn't finally spoken:

"What are you doing?"

Gohan approached with Videl and invited her to get back on her feet. Satan's daughter seemed quite embarrassed by the situation and kept her arm around the one of the warrior, probably to prevent her from doing this kind of thing again.

"You should go to downtown and the mall." suggested Goku's son to his girlfriend.

"Yeah! That's a very good idea. We'll see you later!"

In the company of the rest of the small group, they quickly drifted away under the gaze of the Namekian. Once again, their eyes crossed. For a few seconds, he saw something other than the initial terror he had previously perceived in her: a deaf anger mixed with a deep hatred. The next moment, this impression had completely disappeared. Could it be that it was only his imagination?

Gohan was the only one who stayed with his former mentor. He waited until they were alone enough to express themselves:

"Do you knew each other?"

The warrior Namekian lowered his eyes to the young Saiyan. He had difficulty knowing whether he was serious or joking.

"No. Not at all. However…"

He paused.

This whole thing was really weird. Especially since the words of this Vetra still resonated in his ears: "_I didn't know you were present in this reality._" Could it be that in the alternate universe from which she came, her presence was different from that of this world? If so, what role could he play? Probably not that of God, in any case and based on her reactions.

"However, I wonder if the Kaio Shin of Time might have answers to these questions."

After all, she was the one who summoned this warrior to help them in their fight. Her knowledge of the subject was therefore much more important than his. Perhaps he was going to have to pay her a little visit to get more information about it… especially if he had to train this woman.

Especially since the anger he had seen in her eyes and felt in her aura had not come out of his mind. On the contrary. Certainly, it was not the first time that he met someone with so much resentment towards his own person but perceived so much hatred towards him… That yes, was a novelty for him.

A novelty he did not understand. This tended to annoy him somewhat.

"It's probable, indeed." said Gohan as if he wished to put words on Piccolo's thoughts. "Even if the ideal would be to ask Vetra directly, right?"

The Namekian shook his head slightly:

"No. She will lie. It's not because the Saiyans are honest and frank that everyone is." he added to tease the young man.

The concerned raised his eyebrows for a moment before leaving in a burst of laughter. Piccolo kept his amused smile for a few minutes before the latter disappeared. He didn't want to waste more time in questions without any answers. It would be useless to tie knots in the brain.

"You should go back to your friend and others so that you can get an idea of our new…warrior. I'm going to the Kaio Shin's temple to get an explanation of it. I'll let you know when I get back."

The young Saiyan nodded and, after having greeted him, flew immediately to join Videl.

The Namekian followed him for a moment with his eyes until his figure became a black spot in the sky. Then, in his turn, he took off but towards the Temple. The journey was rather fast and he set foot on the ground in front of the large arch, to finish on foot. Internally, he was relieved to find the mistress of the place who seemed - strangely - to wait for him.

"I suspected that you would soon visit me." she said as a preamble before inviting him to enter the Temple itself.

"You know why I'm here."

His black eyes were staring at the Kaio Shin of Time. She didn't avoid his look, holding his gaze without flinching, but didn't seem comfortable either. The smile she offered him had something... sad, which surprised him somewhat.

"First of all," she said, "tell me what happened."

The Namekian crossed his arms again.

"I met with Vetra. Officially. I had seen her come to our universe before I slid away. She kneeled in front of me and called me "Majesty" and then… she seemed so terrified. A terror that I had never seen in anyone, even in human beings. But..."

"Yes?" The Kaio Shin encouraged him while he had interrupted himself.

"But then, when she moved away, it was not fear that I perceived in her: it was hatred in the raw state."

His interlocutor let out a slight exhalation as her shoulders sagged. He waited for her to put her thoughts in order for a few seconds and then, as he went to ask her what it was really about, she was the first to speak:

"In another case, I probably would have refused to give more explanations about an alternative reality to ours. But since you promised to take over her training...I guess I have to tell you what it is. Honestly."

She raised her head.

"Vetra comes from a world entirely dominated by your alter ego. Son Goku died trying to fight you during the Tenkaishi Budokai and you took over the Earth. I mean… literally, the control of the Earth : you became the Emperor. The God of Evil.

Piccolo was speechless. He had expected everything. Everything! Except this.

"Vetra was part of the personal guard of this God of Evil, but also one of the greatest figures of the Resistance. She was both the closest to the Emperor, but also his greatest enemy. That's probably why—"

"She knelt before me, and I felt her hatred for me." concluded the Namek.

The Kaio Shin of Time nodded to the warrior.

"Playing with masks and appearances is something she certainly controls as much as fighting. However, she doesn't know that you have nothing to do with the Piccolo of her world. You'll have to earn her trust on many points." she added with a slight smile.

"You knew it? Is that why you accepted without discussing my offer to be the instructor of the person you would call?"

"Yes." she confessed in a breath. "Among other things."

Piccolo didn't know if he was angry or admiring.

"What else should I know?"

This time the Kaio Shin waved him to follow her. The Namekian followed her lead as they entered deeper into the Temple. He recognized the many scrolls stored in the alcoves of the walls, each parchment of Time. Nevertheless, his guide didn't stop there. She took the stairs to a small room in the basement where there was a sort of round pool. The water was clear, almost translucent.

Without a word, she invited him to go to the middle of the pool.

"The best thing is that you see it for yourself. Don't worry, it won't take long."

The warrior obeys without a word and steps forward. The water reached him at knee level and, under his eyes, the light color became darker and darker until it reached a deep pitch black.

As he advanced, the room around him changed. The pool, water and walls of the Temple have disappeared, as well as the Kaio Shin. Instead, he found himself in a sort of large hall-like room. Torches were lit there, human guards in armor were there at regular intervals.

Hearing footsteps, he found himself and found himself facing…

"Vetra?"

The scarlet-haired woman did not seem to hear him and continued her way with a sure step until… crossing him, as if he were only an image. A ghost. The Namekian quickly understood the situation. Everything he saw here was just a memory. The events of an alternative reality to his.

Piccolo followed in the footsteps of the young woman. They passed many corridors to the point of stopping in front of a massive door. The warrior pushed the heavy wood door that squeaked on her hinges and penetrated into what the Namekian considered to be the throne room. They walked again to some kind of platform. There she put a knee on the ground as he had already seen her do in front of him a few hours earlier.

"Your Majesty. You asked to see me?"

A deep and dark voice resounded in the shadows before them. The massive doors closed in a heavy squeaking. Armed guards have come forward, weapons pointed at the woman on her knees.

Piccolo held his breath as he watched his own evil "reflection" emerge from the shadow, a bitter grin to his lips. Vetra didn't flinch.

"Yes. Indeed, my dear."

The Namek sovereign of the Earth stopped before his general on his knees in front of him. His silhouette cast a massive and sinister shadow over the scarlet-haired woman as he watched her from his height. His grin stretched out to turn into a carnassie smile, showing his fangs. A smile that made Piccolo shiver, still in the room.

He choked on the words of his evil alter-ego:

"Vetra, my sweet and beautiful Vetra. My faithful general of my armies... I sentence you to death for betrayal."


	5. Chapter 4: Memories

**Genre :** Angst – Drame – Romance

**Disclamer :** I don't own the DBZ's characters. Also, this is a french fiction in the first place and I wanted to translate it to practice my English so don't hesite to tell me if I've made some spelling mistakes :)

* * *

**\- Dragon Ball : Xenoverse -  
– Destiny -**

* * *

**Chap. IV - Memories**

Sentenced to death.

Piccolo still had difficulty believing that it was his own voice that he heard, his own body that he saw moving. The words of his _alter ego_ sounded like violent stabbings to his ears. Il déglutit difficilement. For a little bit, he would have rushed to intervene or … it didn't matter, he would have. The only thing that kept him from doing that was that he was fully aware that this was all just a memory. That everything had already happened.

Guards came out of the shadow where they were. Four in total. By observing them, the Namek found that they seemed like… mentally absent. Probably some kind of mind-control thing that drives them to serve their master until they die. The quartet circled their general, pointing to what appeared to be electrified spears. The Emperor of the Earth raised his hand, and the guards immediately stopped their movements.

"Arrest her and lock her up", he declared without leaving the young woman from his eyes. "She's part of the Resistance, and I will take every piece of information she can had."

Piccolo expected the warrior to do so, but she didn't. Quite the contrary.

As the guards approached again, Vetra suddenly jumped on both of her feet. In a quick movement, she grabbed the spears of two guards and snatched them from their hands and immediately turned the weapons against their respective owners. The two beings in armour collapsed to the ground, their bodies agitated by twitches due to electric arcs. Without losing a moment, she dodged the throw of one of her opponents aiming at her eyes by slightly pivoting her body to the side.

She took advantage of the fact that her enemy found himself dragged by his own weight to land him through a powerful knee stroke in the belly. Conscious that there was one left standing, she turned to him. The guard seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if guessing that he was not going to fire very long in view of the scene that these three other comrades were giving. Then, as if he remembered that his master was watching the scene, he rushed without waiting any longer to the young woman with scarlet hair.

Vetra sank him into unconsciousness without any mischief. Piccolo thought she'd leave it at that, but she didn't. The human warrior, who now had nothing left to lose, grabbed one of the electrified weapons she threw at the Namek near his throne. He grabbed the weapon in mid-flight and broke it with a simple stroke of his hand. A predacious smile on his lips, he rushed to the young woman who didn't have time to avoid him.

The Earth sovereign hit her head-on. Their bodies mixing for a moment as they rolled on the marble floor, the scarlet hair of Vetra mingling with the green skin of the Namek. He was the first to recover. The young woman remained on the ground, apparently stunned. Her unconsciousness was not long since the Emperor of Evil raised her out by grabbing her by the hair to lift her face to the height of his own.

"I am impressed by your will and resistance, my dear Vetra. But we will see if you continue to resist for a long time to come."

Present in this memory, Piccolo violently clenched his fists before a simple fact: he was unable to print his phalanges masterfully in the head of his alter ego. Dende witnessed it, yet it was what he wished for!

He went to follow in the footsteps of that hateful Namek who dragged the young woman to the ground as a subordinate, when his vision began to change. The walls became blurred little by little, the marble floor where the bodies of the four guards were found slowly disappeared from his field of vision and were replaced by the familiar landscape of the basement of the Temple of Time where he was.

His fists relaxed little by little as he regained control of himself and let his anger disappear with that memory. The Kaio Shin of Time hadn't moved from her place. She stared at him in silence. The Namek finally spoke:

"Why didn't you let me see this memory further on? What happened?"

"Vetra was tortured", she replied in a white voice after a moment of hesitation. "Your _alter ego_ has sought by all means to obtain the information he desired about the Resistance. She never said a word about it. I summoned her when she was about to be executed in front of thousands of people."

Piccolo was going to ask the question "Why wait so long?" but the answer hit him like a slap: by thus making disappear this woman, the main figure of the Resistance, the Kaio Shin had just proved to the people that the Gods hadn't abandoned them. The revolt would soon take strong root and burst.

"You are asking me to train a warrior who viscerally hates my alter ego and therefore I by extension", he murmured more for himself than for his interlocutor.

"It's up to you to make her realize that her universe has nothing to do with the one we're in. I think Gohan and Videl will also be part of this change, but the most important part will be on your side." she added with a slight smile of apology.

The Namek didn't protest at all. Obviously, he had already made his promise and was not going to turn back on it. Nevertheless, he felt that what the Kaio Shin was asking of him was not going to be easy. Mainly mentally. He strongly doubted that Vetra would attack him openly in front of everyone, apart from a training fight of course.

Piccolo thanked Kaio Shin of Time and took his leave. Now he had to find Gohan to say two words to him as he had promised him. Without wasting any time, he went to the mall where the young man had mentioned going. The place was crowded. The Namek had all the pains of the world to perceive the Ki of the half-Saiyan among all these humans but was relieved to find him outside. Goku's son seemed to be waiting for him.

"Where is she?" He asked his former pupil as a preamble.

"Videl took her shopping."

"Perfect."

The warrior Namek narrated his discussion with the Kaio Shin of Time as well as what he had experienced and seen through memory. Gohan listened to him in silence but, in view of expressions through which his face passed repeatedly, he was horrified by what his mentor was telling him. Once his story was complete, he stopped for a moment to give the half-Saiyan the time to digest all this.

"Talk to your friend about it, but don't mention it in front of Vetra." he ends up saying. "I doubt she appreciates this… intrusion into her past."

Gohan agreed.

"All right. I will try to do what I can to prevent you from being killed." he added shortly afterwards. "You are not the Piccolo of her world, even if it may be difficult for her to conceive."

"She's intelligent." said the Namek, remembering how she got rid of the guards and her double play of masks. "It will take time, but I think she will come to realize that."

He was going to add something but stopped perceiving the Ki of Videl and the human warrior. They both saw them coming, seeming in great conversation. However, Vetra's smile vanished when her eyes crossed his. But this time, Piccolo was not determined to be destabilized.

The Namek went to meet them, Gohan on his heels. He stopped in front of the young woman with scarlet hair and lowered his eyes towards hers, having perceived her slight movement of retreat. Then, without the slightest preamble, he declared:

"Come with me, we'll fight."


End file.
